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news
Edinburgh Trams.jpgVIDEO: Cyclists hurt on 'lethal' Edinburgh tram tracks
Edinburgh cyclists have said a new stretch of tramlines in the city centre are 'lethal' for those on bikes - as video emerges showing a man having a near miss with traffic when his wheel becomes lodged in the tracks.
The video, acquired by the Scotsman, shows the new stretch of road at the Haymarket, which campaigners are now calling on the council to review before a more serious incident occurs.
Chris Hill, who runs the CityCyclingEdinburgh.info forum, said: “I wasn’t going ‘looking for crashes’, but I got one on video in the few minutes I was there. The video shows there is a need to make sure drivers keep well back.”
Campaigners say the road's layout could either be addressed, or the grooves in the tracks could be plugged with rubber, as they are in other cities in the Netherlands.
Zurich is also experimenting with rubber plugs at the points where cyclists need to cross the rails.
Green councillor Gavin Corbett said: “I believe we need to look again at how this section is laid out.”
Edinburgh City Council said it was planning to launch a series of videos showing cyclists how to ride safely around tramlines, in December, at the same time as trams are being tested along the entire 8-mile route.
One cyclist, Sara Dorman, 43, said: “I was at a safety briefing about trams and they were telling us it’s important to cross the lines at as close to a 90 degree angle as possible. But the actual engineering that went into the road design (at Haymarket) and the planning makes that impossible.
“You have to cross the tracks. It looks ridiculous to me. None of us want any more tearing up of the tram tracks at that intersection, but it’s extremely frustrating that these things weren’t thought through before.”
Ian Maxwell from the campaign group Spokes, said: “There’s going to be a lot of learning going on over the next few months as people get to grips with the new traffic layout and the tram tracks.
“We hope eventually that experience will build up. At the moment there are these particular places where you’ve got to be very careful because the design isn’t ideal.”
Last year we reported how a firm of solicitors who identified 74 separate tram track incidents there claimed Princes Street “is a fatality waiting to happen” – and accused the city council of wanting to “bury its head in the sand” about the issue.
Cycle campaigners have consistently warned about the danger posed to riders by the project, which has been dogged by controversy since it began in 2008, with costs spiralling out of control, contractual disputes, and delays which have seen the completion date pushed back from 2011 to 2014 with the network being less extensive than originally envisaged.
According to Thompsons Solicitors, the council also faces a wave of compensation claims from cyclists injured after coming off their bikes when their wheels became jammed in the tram tracks.
Transport Convener Lesley Hinds said: “We’re keen to take on the views of cyclists and other road users about how they feel the new arrangements on the road are working,” she said. “When the system was designed some years back the designs were consulted on.
“However, now work is nearing completion and later when trams are in operation, we understand that we may need to adapt signage, road markings and other elements of road layout.
“Once the project is complete we’ll be in a position to make changes if required and I’ve asked the Head of Transport to consider ways of gathering this feedback so we can act if required. It’s important that people get ready for the trams and that they know what to expect which is why we continue to push our safety message.”
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60 comments
the comment about the rider not taking an "ideal" line across the tracks- the problem is (and this is pretty clear in the video) that the tram tracks are "merging" with the lane on the curve, so unless you want to be shoved into the gutter you've got to cross them at a shallow angle, rather than the ideal 90°. So this location definitely needs the rubber plugs. The technology is simple and well used, it just needs installed.
And yes, in various parts of Europe trams and mass cycling do co-exist peacefully. But Edinburgh hasn't had trams for years and mass cycling is only just taking off there. So the experience isn't there.
No helmet and cutting over a wet metal rail. Sorry but this just makes us(cyclists) all look like bunch of half wits. He should of took more care. Plus it looks a bit staged.
I myself am reluctant to pick on people's english as it seems a bit petty and pedantic really but when somebody complains that somebody else is making him look like a half wit and then says 'he should of took' then it might become very hard for another commenter, not me of course, to resist saying something to the effect that he hardly needs someone else to do that for him, especially if that other commenter is finding such hostile comments about another bike rider who's had an accident a bit squalid.
I stacked it big time turning across tram tracks in San Francisco - ever since then I try to stay away from them, especially in the wet, and only cross as close to a right angle as possible.
I learnt my lesson but you have to seriously question a road design that puts a cycle path between tram tracks.
Another reason not to use stupidly narrow tyres for commuting.
Another reason not to use stupidly narrow mind for commenting.
Did someone just change the page title from
VIDEO: Edinburgh tram tracks danger
to
VIDEO: Cyclists hurt on 'lethal' Edinburgh tram tracks
bit bombastic isn't it?
I had a close call with the new Manchester Metro Link near Bagley Tesco. The track crosses a 90 degree right turn and you have to pass over it and back again in some 50 yards. Its very difficult to cross the track at 90 degrees as that puts you straight in front of passing cars. I jump the track but managed to get my rear wheel on the second pass slightly into the track. It flipped the whole bike and I've no idea how I stayed on. I go a different route altogether now although with a buckled rear wheel!
It's almost as if someone genuinely thought that riding a bike through Baguley wasn't already difficult enough.
A combination of bad road layout and rider error - wet rubber on metal at an oblique angle is an accident waiting to happen. I'm not so sure about the rubber infill - there's a level crossing near here that is on a downhill bend - it is positively lethal in the wet
This happened to me in Manchester once, in 2001. I learned my lesson quickly and it never happened again. A tram driver even gave me a thumbs up as I limped to the side. At no point did I question the validity of mass transportation on street light rail, more and cheaper trams please.
A few uber-cyclists on here.
I was in Edinburgh last month doing a charity night ride, it is a good city to cycle in, but I was dismayed at seeing the cycle lane in Princess St go along the tram tracks.
I won't be going back (at least with a bike) as I don't think it is going to safe enough once the trams start running.
A little more thought of cycle integration with the tram system needs to be done IMHO
Did anyone see Cycling Weekly a couple of weeks ago? Apparently Edinburgh is one of the best cities in the UK for cycling. Not sure I agree.....
Having cycled daily in Edinburgh for 2 years I have never seen a single reason why that would be the case.
Awful cycling routes, uneven & potholed road surfaces, cobbles worse than pavé, buses and traffic everywhere, tram lines and tram-works, over-aggressive taxis... it's a complete nightmare. Only saving grace is that the borders are within striking distance and the Trossachs aren't too far off either.
As a fellow Edinburgh cyclist. Couldnt agree more. If we are one of the cities,then god help the worse ones!
I have to wonder a bit about this.
Sheffield is full of tramlines that I have to negotiate crossing three or four times on the way in and back from work, every day. I've never even had a close call (touch wood), because I appreciate how to ride on, near and around them. It's all about anticipation, they behave the same way as wet grids, so don't brake on them, don't stand up and accelerate on them and keep your angle of attack wide. Easier said than done with a 23mm racing tyre, but then you have to wonder why people commute on those at all. A 25mm intermediate tyre would be better and no slower for commuting.
Trams are a good idea for large, busy cities and they reduce the amount of driven traffic which, in the long run, makes it better for cyclists. Rubber plugs definitely sound like a good idea for those sections of track that are off-angle, but in general I think it's down to us to use our brains.
I tend to experience very courteous behavior from drivers around the tracks too, which is a big help. Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe they see me lit up like a bonfire, looking like I have some responsibility and give me the respect I deserve?
Rather than tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie, no helmet (controversial I know) as well as no understanding of action-reaction. I hope the bloke in the vid is ok, but I also hope he has seen the footage and realises how much of an idiot he is.
Darwin's theory in motion.
All the tram lines I've seen in Holland and Denmark have been planned with other road users in mind. I've no experience of the Edinburgh ones, but certainly the new Oldham extension to the Manchester Metrolink has been planned by someone who has never seen a bike, let alone ridden one. Many stories of cyclists being brought down by these tracks (which are in places 45 degrees - or more - from the perpendicular)
And yet those cycling Utopias of Holland and Denmark are full of tramlines. I've never seen anyone come down over there. More grey cells abroad?
I'm living in Berlin currently where there are also many cyclists and quite a few tram tracks. They are a fairly common cause of accidents I am told. The only incident I have personally witnessed however involved me (and for the record, yes it hurt quite a lot).
The thing with tram tracks is that you can cross them safely. As everyone says all you have to do is get the angle right, make sure you don't brake at the wrong time and so on. Of course when you are attempting this it isn't under ideal conditions. Speaking in general, rather than specifically for the case in the video, there can be a lot of confounding factors. Tramlines going in different directions means you can't pick a line and stick to it but must change. If its wet or icy the ground itself can be slippery. For busy intersections there will be a lot of cyclists going in different directions, also trying to avoid the tram lines, and passing you on different sides which you have to allow for. Cars can also be coming through and may choose to overtake as you try and turn. Of course you can get all this right, and speaking personally I always have (at least right enough) apart from just that once. The point is that if you do it every day almost everyone will get it wrong once and how that turns out is largely dependent on luck. Was a car trying to overtake you just then?
As is almost always the case, it would just be much better to have a road design that didn't rely on people getting it right every time.
Well considering on Princes St the cycle lanes are actually inside the tram rails, there's going to be a lethal incident at some point.
I ignored a "Cyclists Dismount" sign at a level crossing once. My front wheel got stuck in the rails and chucked me off the bike. Lesson learnt don't try and cross rails at less than 45 degrees if your tyres are small enough to fall in the gap.
The rubber fillets sound like a good idea and the best way to make that junction safer.
I don't think I've heard a single positive word about the whole Edinburgh Trams fiasco. The entire thing seems to have been a series of total cock ups right from the start.
Helmet ?
Yes. You are.
How would a helmet have prevented this accident?
Dangerously poor engineering and a "safety message" to try and patch over the failings?
Well, ain't that a new idea?
Why wait for the council to put rubber in the tram tracks?
Time we were more proactive:
Lethal things, review welcome. However in this instance it's "hardly a near miss with traffic" and the blame for the fall lies entirely with the cyclist - what did he think was going to happen?
He had many choices approaching that corner and chose the wrong one. The cyclist in yellow made a good choice attacking the line at a good angle and the two behind also made a good choice in deciding to hold their line and not cross the track.
I have to agree with this, surprised more commenters aren't agreeing! The line the rider took into that corner was asking for trouble. I don't think we can blame the council for this one. You can clearly see the cyclists behind keeping a sensible line will have zero issue with the corner.
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